Adaptive moisture ratio-based temperature control for enhanced drying efficiency and energy performance in onion drying
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s10973-026-16288-4
- Dergi Adı: JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Aerospace Database, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, Index Islamicus, INSPEC, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO), Materials Science & Engineering Collection (ProQuest), Technology Collection (ProQuest)
- Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Drying processes play a critical role in determining the quality, stability, and energy efficiency of food products, particularly for structurally complex materials such as onions. In this study, the effects of different drying strategies-constant-temperature drying (CTD), intermittent drying (ID), and a moisture ratio-based temperature-controlled method (CTD-MR)-were systematically investigated with respect to drying behavior, energy efficiency, and product quality. The results demonstrated that drying performance is strongly governed by the interaction between temperature profile and moisture content. Compared to CTD and ID, the CTD-MR approach provided a more balanced drying process, achieving efficient moisture removal while preserving product quality. Intermittent drying improved quality retention under certain conditions but resulted in longer drying times, whereas CTD exhibited lower energy efficiency and less favorable quality outcomes. Among all methods, CTD-MR showed the highest effective moisture diffusivity (6.63 & times;10(-10) -20.34 & times;10(-10) m(2) s(-1)), the shortest drying time, and superior energy performance indicators, including higher SMER and MER and lower SEC. In addition, this approach significantly enhanced product quality by improving flowability, increasing thiosulfate retention, reducing color degradation, and lowering optical index values. These improvements were attributed to more uniform moisture removal, which minimized surface resistance formation and enhanced internal moisture transport. The results clearly demonstrate that moisture ratio-based temperature control is a powerful, practically applicable strategy for enhancing drying efficiency and product quality, as well as improving thermal efficiency and process performance in drying systems.